1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to timekeeping and, more particularly, to the formation of prompts to facilitate the setting or resetting of digital time displays which are suitable for general purpose timekeeping, as most individuals customarily use to coordinate their daily activities with desired or required time schedules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Balanced, quadribalanced and enhanced quadribalanced digital time displays are disclosed in the prior art. Examples of patents which describe such displays include U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,737, U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,497 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,736 B1, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. These displays have a common characteristic, which is that at the conclusion of the first half of each hour, the time information transitions from elapsed time to remaining time.
More specifically, during the first half hour, the current hour in these displays is flanked on its right side by incrementing elapsed minutes in a single or dual up/down position. Thereafter, the hour value increases by one to display the oncoming next hour, minutes switch to a single or dual down/up position flanking the left side of that hour and begin counting down the remaining 30 minutes before that hour commences. Seconds can also be included to count 59 seconds up during each elapsed minute and 59 seconds down during each remaining minute.
3. Recognition of Problems in the Prior Art
In the above-described prior art displays, only the digital hour and seconds remain in stationary positions, while digital minutes move in successive right to left positions flanking the centrally displayed hours, simulating rotary-like motions from hour to hour.
Because such displays occupy relatively larger areas of the overall display field than conventional digital displays, there is a need to determine how such field should be modified when switching from a real time mode to a setting mode for setting or resetting real or alarm times and calendar values. Another consideration is whether or how to include cues or prompts in the displays in order to provide differentiation between the real time displays and the displays provided for setting or resetting either a real or an alarm time.
Such cues or prompts should have singular characteristics which not only differentiate between real time and the setting or resetting of real or alarm times, but also between the setting of either of such time values and the setting of calendar values, such as day names and the dates of a current month, day or year.
Ideally, through the aid of effective prompts, the viewer should immediately become aware of which values are available for setting or resetting with utmost clarity and comprehension, so that there is little or no uncertainty or confusion, thereby minimizing or avoiding the risk of error or failure.